


Old Woods Folktale

by duckweed_and_pondscum



Category: Original Work
Genre: Creepy Atmosphere, Dark Woods, Forest Magic, Forest Spirits, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Monster Stories, Rabbits, but not really?, folktale vibe, magic shenanigans, semi-graphic monster death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:14:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24646993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duckweed_and_pondscum/pseuds/duckweed_and_pondscum
Summary: There is a cautionary tale about the dangers of wandering off in the woods, passed from generation to generation. Now, it is your turn to hear it from the village wise woman. Listen closely, young one, and take heed.
Relationships: Narrator & Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Old Woods Folktale

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old piece of mine that I never posted, but is still my favorite of my works.

Many things happen in the forest. Some good, some bad, most mysterious. Thousands of secret stories that end and are never heard again. The forest is large and old, and it keeps many secrets. 

Of the multitude of lost stories and lost souls, a few have not yet been forgotten. So sit, my child, and I shall tell you one such tale. Many years ago, in this very forest, a little girl got lost. This in and of itself is nothing so unusual, as the forest is tricky and deceitful and likes to lure children away, some to return, some not to. And this little girl, her name was Adeline. Now, children are easily distracted, and Adeline most of all.

It all started with a rabbit, for who loves rabbits more than children? Oh, and when you return home, please do tell your mother that I enjoyed her rabbit pie ever so. But let us return to the story. Now, this rabbit Adeline saw was striking, with a velvety coat in a cozy shade of beige; long, elegant, powerful hind legs; large, silky ears erect with confidence and familiarity; a pristine white tail so fluffy it seemed that it could float on a breeze; and warm black eyes, inquisitive and caring, and Adeline desperately wanted to bring it home for supper. Oh, wouldn’t mother be ever so pleased? She might even not make her sleep in the cupboard tonight. That prospect excited her greatly, and so as the rabbit hopped away, she followed it, without thought or hesitation, into the dark forest.

The rabbit bounded along confidently, with speed and agility, and Adeline struggled to keep up, tripping over tree roots and wincing as branches whipped her in the face. Finally, the rabbit stopped in a clearing. The surrounding trees were so thick and tall, they shielded the clearing from the sky, and Adeline realized that they were deep in the heart of the forest. With a shudder, she recalled the monster stories mother would tell her every night before bed.

“But ma, are these real?” Adeline would ask, wide-eyed and fearful.

“Who knows? No one has ever gone into the heart of the forest and returned to tell us the answer. Maybe  _ you  _ should be the next one to try,” she replied with a wicked grin, and Adeline would squeal and cover her eyes.

Pulling away from her memories, she started walking hesitantly towards the rabbit. suddenly, antlers started to emerge from its head, like branches sprouting out of a tree. The jackalope continued to transform, growing a good deal larger and turning an ashen gray. Its face morphed into a leering horse skull, empty eye socket with a red glow from deep within. The creature grew hunchbacked as it loomed seven feet tall over the terrified girl, its soft feet turning to sharp, hooked claws. Its ears grew proportionately and pointed straight back, like a cat’s preparing for a fight. Throughout all of these grotesque changes, its antlers continued to grow, curving and branching like short, gnarled trees. The monster gave a rasping screech and lunged towards Adeline, who was frozen with fear.

Suddenly, the ground gave a loud crack, and thick roots shot out from the earth, spraying dirt everywhere and forming a protective wall between Adeline and the nightmarish beast. The trees around bent towards the clearing, large branches rushing forward and thoroughly entangling the jackalope. It screamed and thrashed, struggling to free itself, but the ancient trees showed no signs of releasing it. The trees shook violently, flock of startled birds flew away with a tremendous cawing racket, and Adeline bounced up and down on the powerfully seizing earth. Her lantern fell to the ground, where it shattered and extinguished. After a few long minutes, the monster’s face turned sickly blue, and the lights in its eye sockets flickered. Its struggling slowly weakened, and after a few weak, final twitches, it gave a dying screech and fell still.

The branches dropped the massive carcass promptly, and the trees calmly straightened back into their proper posture, as the roots snaked back towards the tree trunk and into the ground. The creature began to decay rapidly, and young sprouts shot up around it, turning into branches bent around it, until finally, there was a fat, bumpy tree where the terrifying beast had lain. Fireflies twinkled around, casting the clearing in a warm glow, and the trunk parted to reveal the skull, antlers still attached and now gilded, and her lantern, fully fixed,now with the dark bronze sculpted to look like branches, burning with the fire from the demon’s eyes. Behind the items, on the wall of the hollow, crude letters started to appear, as if carved by a ghost with an invisible knife. She was to attach the skull to her head, so, skeptically, she lifted the giant piece and brought it down upon her head.

Instantly, it shrunk to accommodate her size. Jingling golden bells and colorful trailing ribbons appeared upon the antlers, and a long blue ribbon snaked out from the skull and tied itself under her chin. She frantically tried to untie it, but with no luck. She had become one of the waites, and to this day she remains a young girl, wandering the forest with her lantern and the skull on her head, trying to find children traveling home at night, and lure them to her tree so they can take her place, for the help of the forest comes at a cost. So, my dear, night is falling and it’s time you head home. Make haste, be careful, and never follow anyone, be it rabbit or jingling girl, into the heart of the forest.


End file.
